Perfect
by missmocha77
Summary: Sasuke was given just one push too many from his father. Now he has left his brother and lover to attain power, but Itachi and Sakura won't give up on him that easily. ItaSaku Nonmassacre.
1. Prologue

Hello there! I hope you will all enjoy the first chapter of Perfect!

Please review. They warm the cockles of my heart ^.^

* * *

"Itachi, you are to annihilate the Uchiha clan." Itachi stood before Danzou, openly horrified.

"Excuse me?" he whispered. Danzou sighed, obviously annoyed that he had to repeat himself.

"Kill your clan. Every last one of them." He paused, taking a long drag on his pipe. "Traitors do not deserve mercy. This is a mission, Itachi."

Itachi felt like he would cry. He knew that the Uchiha clan would be punished for their crimes when he started being a spy, but he never knew the consequences were this severe. His mouth suddenly felt dry, unable to salivate. His throat was collapsing on itself. "Very well," he answered coldly, concealing all emotion. Receiving the mission scroll and stuffing it in his pocket, Itachi exited the room. Each step shot emotional pain that presented itself physically throughout his body. He knew he would break down eventually. The question was when. Would it be after he killed his family and friends or before?

Or would he even have to?

* * *

Sarutobi was beyond furious. There were no words to describe his anger. After Itachi had told him everything, the boy had just broken down and wept in front of him, not bothering to hide the way he felt. That was the first time that Sarutobi had seen proper emotion displayed in the boy.

"Explain to me, Danzou, why you found this necessary to conduct without my permission." Danzou looked into the eyes of the Hokage.

"Why, Sarutobi, you know that you wouldn't have done anything about the coup d'état. I am simply playing my part," he replied. Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at him.

"I see, Danzou." Sarutobi stood up and walked to the door. "You are dismissed." With that, Sarutobi hurried to gather his most discreet assassins.

Danzou was mysteriously murdered later that night.

* * *

"Father, look at my test! I got the best grade in the whole class!" Sasuke chirped. Fugaku grunted, distracted by his thoughts. Sasuke's mouth quickly tugged into a frown. He so very badly wanted his father to acknowledge, but in the end, he was still only interested in Itachi.

As Itachi came through the door, Sasuke's mood quickly brightened. "Brother, look at my test!" Itachi smiled as Sasuke rushed toward him and shoved the piece of paper into his hands. He got 100 percent.

"Very good, Sasuke," he laughed, poking his sibling in the forehead. Sasuke grinned, showing a gap between two of his teeth.

Itachi was so relieved. Negotiations were going smoothly, and it seemed as if his father was going to give in to them very soon. The Hokage had offered the Uchiha a permanent place on the government, a very influential position. The two men knew the war would be a bloodbath so they were trying to avoid it as best as they could. It took some stress of Itachi's shoulders. Sasuke was safe.

At least, for now.

* * *

_Eight years later..._

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Sasuke screamed at Fugaku. Fugaku's jaw clenched tightly as he glared at his son.

"Maybe, for once, you should take responsibility. You- Are you listening to me, Sasuke?" Mikoto stood timidly in the corner as her husband and son quarreled. The fights had never turned violent, but she knew someday, they most likely would. And to think this fight was a milder one. "You have no respect towards your mother or me. We let you live here, and you leech off of us. The least you could do is show a little courtesy," his father sternly said. Sasuke sneered at him.

"Perhaps you should show me some respect as a shinobi, Dad." Fugaku's eyes turned dark.

"You are too young for ANBU," he said lowly. Sasuke's face immediately contorted with anger.

"I am older than Itachi was when he joined ANBU! Why am I not allowed to go in? You are even the head of the police force itself!" hissed the angry boy.

Fugaku shook his head. "You are not ready, Sasuke." Clearly not agreeing with his father, Sasuke spat messily on the floor and stomped up to his room. Mikoto kneeled to the ground with a rag and wiped the saliva up while sniffing back her tears. Her husband, eyes softening, kneeled down with her and pulled her into a tight embrace. It wasn't her fault; none of this was. It was mainly his, but he was trying to rectify it. Poor Sasuke just didn't know how to handle it.

* * *

"We're almost there!" called out Shisui. "Whoo, boy, am I glad to see home!" Inwardly Itachi agreed. It was pleasant to see the gates of Konoha after so long. He was anxious to see Sasuke and his parents. Picking up the pace, they reached Konoha in no time. "Finally!" Shisui moaned, reaching up and stretching his back in a catlike way. "Home sweet home!"

"Indeed," Itachi said, holding back his wish to hurry to his house to greet his family. "Let us hurry to the Hokage tower." Shisui winked at Itachi and grinned gleefully.

"Agreed," he said playfully, punching Itachi in the shoulder. Smirking, Itachi knew that his cousin had just challenged him to see who could reach the Hokage tower faster. Perhaps Itachi would win this time...

"Haha! I have won again, baby cousin!" Shisui called out proudly. Itachi, not even panting, smirked,

"Perhaps I let you win, dear Shisui," Itachi cooed. Smiling, Shisui shook his head.

"Nah, you'd never do that Itachi-chan!" He stuck his tongue out childishly. "Come on, let's hand in out report so we can get the hell out of here!" The two of them leisurely walked to the Hokage's office, chatting about unimportant things as a distraction. Upon reaching it, they heard a flurry of swears escape from a female's mouth.

"Oh, shit! It died again," the girl hissed. A heavy exhale was heard.

"Sakura don't you think you've done enough for one day?" the Hokage's voice came. Shisui peeked inside the office. Itachi raised a brow, but Shisui ignored it and beckoned him to come look as well. Sighing, Itachi gave into to his temptation and looked inside.

"Shishou, I won't stop till I get it right," the girl replied. With the exotic pink hair and viridian eyes, Itachi was sure that he was looking at his brother's former teammate Haruno Sakura. He noticed that she was pretty. Not drop-dead gorgeous, but pretty nonetheless. It was a shame his little brother hadn't taken a liking to this girl. Itachi immediately liked her for some reason.

Trying to keep another fish alive outside of water again, the girl failed two times, and her teacher had to save the fish herself before tossing it back inside the water. On the third try, she succeeded and let out a cry of joy. "I did it!" She hugged her Shishou, who simply smiled, and then hugged Shizune.

And that was when Shisui had to go ruin it all by applauding and cheering. Sakura turned to look at him oddly, a blush coloring her peachy cheeks. "Go, Sakura-chan!" Shisui complimented, strangely without innuendo hinted in his tone. "Do it again!" he urged on, and the Hokage simply chuckled.

"I see you two are back from your mission." Nodding enthusiastically, Shisui skipped over to Sakura and ruffled her hair roughly. Sakura protested, but Shisui paid it no mind.

"Yes, we are! And it went A-O.K." he chirped. "Do I get reward?" he coyly said, nearing Shizune and pouting his lips. Turning a vibrant red, Shizune shied away from Shisui.

"You'll get money," Shizune grumbled, looking slightly disappointed. Holding back a smirk, Itachi knew that Shisui had little luck with the Hokage's assistant for the past two years due to his flirtatious nature.. Still, he made great effort. A great effort on Shisui's part anyway.

Tsunade waved her hand at Shisui. "How did the mission go?"

"It was completed with minimal injuries. The threat has been eliminated completely." The Hokage gave him a skeptical look.

"Minimal injuries?" she asked. Shisui snickered while trying to get closer to Shizune.

"The stupid idiot was the only one who got hurt!" he gloated, wagging his tongue out at his younger cousin. Itachi merely glowered at Shisui, his eyes threatening punishment for revealing that embarrassing fact.

The Hokage paid them well and dismissed them lazily from her office, not even bothering to have someone escort them out. Shisui began chattering away about how fun it was to tease Shizune when the pink-haired apprentice ran after Itachi. "Wait, Uchiha-san!" she called out. He stopped for her as did Shisui, directing a questioning stare at Itachi's back. "You're hurt, right?" she inquired somewhat loudly, causing Shisui to giggle at all the stares they received. However, Itachi took a hit to his manly pride.

"...yes," he answered. "Is there a problem?" he asked. Sakura shook her head and a faint red colored her cheeks.

"Um...no. I was just- y'know what? Never mind. Forget that I said anything." Itachi nearly smiled.

"No, it's alright, Sakura-san. Please finish what you were saying," Itachi warmly commanded. Her cheeks turned even redder.

"Um... I was wondering if I could practice on you. If...ah...if that's okay with you," she finally mumbled out. This time Itachi did smile.

"I would love to help you, Sakura-san." Shisui smirked and winked at Itachi, who rolled his eyes in return. His cousin had his mind in the gutter nearly all the time; it was no wonder he hadn't won Shizune's heart yet.

"I'll leave you to your little tryst then," he cheeped, insinuation seeping through his voice. "See you later, Itachi."

"Hmm," replied the stoic Uchiha. Emboldened by his acceptance of the offer, Sakura grabbed him by the hand.

"This way, Uchiha-san!" Slightly put off by the way she was leading him as if he were a invalid, he decided to tease her a little bit. He traced the lines on her palm with his calloused index finger and brushed his thumb achingly slowly over the tops of her knuckles. Sakura gasped openly and quickly dropped his hand. "S-sorry," she stuttered, looking away sheepishly. This really made Itachi smile. He decided he would make a habit of teasing this girl.

He followed her into a clinic room. "So, where is your injury, Uchiha-san?" Sakura asked happily. She cleared the bed for him and motioned for him to sit on it. Easily hopping up on it, he smirked slightly, making Sakura glare at him. "Uchiha-san," she said impatiently.

"...it is on my back," he answered. Sakura clapped her hands together.

"Okay! Uchiha-san! Please take off your shirt."

Itachi was horrified at her command. He did not enjoy showing his skin. Especially to females, all too willing to 'help him make an heir' or rather, jump him. He sat still for a few moments in contemplation. "...is it necessary?" he asked finally. Sakura crossed her arms.

"You promised that you'd help me," she pouted. "Now don't be difficult. It's not like I'm going to have my hands all over you." Itachi was silent still. Eventually, he grasped the edges of his shirt and pulled it off of him. The fourteen year old girl smiled. "That's better," she chirped. She came behind him and examined the wound. "Hmm...it's not too deep, but it'll scar if it's not healed." Her hands glowed a vibrant green. "This might hurt at first, so don't be too surprised," she warned. Itachi nodded.

When she placed her hands on his back, it did indeed, as she said, sting like hell. Itachi gritted his teeth together to keep from making a noise. Eventually, the pain of the healing lessened and even became comfortable. Her hands were cool on his back, but the chakra was warm, and it made a lovely contrast that nearly made Itachi shudder.

Sakura scrutinized the mending skin. It was healing as it should, and there didn't seem to be any abnormalities. "All right, you look like you're all set to go!" she cheered. "I think I did a pretty decent job at this," she praised herself. Letting out one soft chuckle, Itachi shook his head.

"Do you not think you are too confident, Sakura-san?" Sakura smiled bashfully.

"Perhaps, Uchiha-san."

"Just Itachi, Sakura." Sakura grinned at the sudden familiarity.

"See you later," she said cheerfully.

"Indeed," he said, waving one hand at the pretty apprentice.


	2. And Then, He Was Gone

Hi! I have finally updated, not to worry. xD

I would like to thank Itachi-San2194, Idiot Number 42, Salvatore9, angel897, Ken and Kao forever, dark angel from hell, and UchihaTragedy for reviewing!

I would also like to thank Itachi-San2194, stringless-marionette, Tenshi no Sakura, Uchiha Fans, UchihaTragedy, Katriniko, XxBirdxOfxHermesxX, SpicyLove, SectumSemprae, Lolita NinjaX3, Geanymaus, Chrysalis1986, BrennaM, and AlenEm for alerting/faving.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

"Oh, come in, dear!" Mikoto sang as she herded Sakura and Sasuke in the door. "You're Sakura, aren't you? You're very pretty." Sakura blushed prettily and covered her face in her hands.

"Mother, stop embarrassing her," Sasuke said, scowling. Mikoto just laughed.

"How protective you are, Sasuke." Wiping her hands on her apron, she led the couple inside the house to the living room. "You can wait here while dinner is prepared. Don't do anything naughty now," she teased, wiggling her finger at them.

"Mother!" Sasuke hushed, turning red. Chuckling with a mischievous look again, Mikoto went off to cook. Sasuke sighed. "I'm sorry. She just does embarrassing things without my permission," he explained, draping an arm around Sakura's shoulders. Sakura giggled.

"Your permission, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, snuggling closer to his chest. Smirking, he touched his lips to her forehead.

"Yes, my permission." Kissing her softly on the lips, he was tempted and about to delve in further until...

"Auntie Mikoto!" came Shisui's loud yell from the front door way. "I'm home!" Sasuke soundlessly stomped over to Shisui.

"This is not your house," he stated dryly. Shisui just grinned at him and took a cheek in each hand.

"Ooh, big, bad Sasuke-chan is threatening me," he snickered, moving Sasuke's cheeks around. Slapping his hands away, Sasuke shot a glare at Shisui. Shisui simply smirked and waved his hand at his younger cousin. Then he noticed a certain pink-haired girl on the couch. "Sakura-chan," he said, feigning surprise. "How nice to see you!"

"Hello, Shisui-san," Sakura greeted. "It's nice to see you, too." Shisui grinned, hopped over to Sakura, and ruffled her hair. Sakura halfheartedly tried to swat his hand away and failed, causing Shisui to smile. "You always do that," she pouted. Shisui grinned and withdrew his hand.

"Hey, squirt! Where's Itachi?" he asked Sasuke. Sasuke grunted. Shisui just sighed and shook his head. "Usually those grunts mean 'yes' or 'no,' but in this case, it means neither! How perplexing!" Sasuke lips continued to curl downward, and the elder Uchiha sighed while walking up the stairs. Sakura watched him go up as Sasuke took his seat beside her once more.

They chatted aimlessly about unimportant things, looking at each other with loving eyes. Then Shisui and Itachi came down the steps.

Damn, he was gorgeous.

Sakura looked at the beautiful man who had just descended the staircase. She hadn't seen Itachi for almost six months. She believed it was since she had seen him shopping at the supermarket and went over to say hi. Yes, she kept track. It was hard not to after their little...encounter with the healing. He had such a demanding presence as well.

However, she had set her sights on Sasuke previously and had finally gotten him. He was nothing like what she thought, though. After being on the same team as him, Sakura fell out of love with the bad boy appearance he put up. He seemed so abusive to everyone, and Sakura did not find that very appealing. After a while, though, some of his shell seemed to melt away, and he would show her a softer side to him. It was times like these that she appreciated him the most. He had also respected her decision to abstain from sex, surprising as it was. They had clear boundaries, and Sakura was grateful for that.

But damn, was Itachi gorgeous!

Acknowledging her with a nod, Itachi said, "Hello, Sakura." Smiling, she gave a small wave.

"Itachi. It's nice to see you after so long," she greeted. Sasuke's lips tilted downward at their familiarity. It was unnerving, to say the least. His brother was friendly with nearly no one. He was under the impression that Sakura and his older brother had never met, but clearly that wasn't the case. Thankfully, Mikoto interrupted the conversation as Sasuke was sending his brother a fiery glare.

"Dinner's ready! Oh, Shisui, you're here too? Come eat with us?" she chirped happily. Shisui smirked.

"That was my intention, Auntie," he admitted dramatically, throwing his arms around Itachi. "I just had to when I heard Itachi was home. Why would I ever pass up the chance of seeing my baby cousin once in a while?" He placed a sloppy smooch on Itachi's stoic face, Itachi just barely showing a hint of disgust. "He's always so busy!" he pouted.

Mikoto nodded and frowned. "Yes, he's almost never home nowadays. It makes Mother sad," she said, pushing back Itachi's bangs. Itachi slightly leaned into his mother's touch, making her lips curl up at the corners. Patting the two elder Uchiha boys' backs, she led the youngsters into the kitchen to eat.

Once they all sat down, Shisui took a bite out of the curry. "Mm, Auntie this is so good," he moaned appreciatively. Inwardly, Sakura agreed with him and wished she, too, could make appreciative noises. However, she did not want to pop her bubble at her first dinner.

Sakura felt a stare directed at her.

Looking up from her piece of meat while it was still stuffed in her mouth, she saw Itachi intensely gazing at her. Blushing, she was a shadow of a smirk appear behind a smile. The jerk.

Noticing her flush a little angrily, Mikoto asked Sakura, "Are you feeling all right?" Reddening further, Sakura nodded anxiously. Chuckling, Mikoto scooted closer to Sakura. "You don't need to feel so formal with us, dear. Any friend of Sasuke's is a friend of ours."

"Especially when she's pretty," Shisui added.

"That too," Mikoto teased. Sakura forced herself to smile, still not really feeling comfortable with Sasuke's family. Mostly his brother, actually.

Right after dinner, Sasuke had to excuse himself for he had to go on a mission so he could not walk Sakura home. Shisui had eagerly jumped up in his seat to take Sakura home, but Mikoto did not trust him with her future daughter-in-law so she sent Itachi instead.

So now Sakura was walking awkwardly with Itachi.

Conversation was out of the question. Besides, Itachi seemed content with the silence so why shouldn't she be? Perhaps it was because she just did not like not talking or hearing people talk. He had a lovely voice anyway so he should use it sometimes. Sakura decided that she had enough of the "comfortable silence."

"So... how is ANBU going?" she asked shyly. He raised a brow but said nothing at the blush quickly spreading over her cheeks.

"It is going well. I, however, shall be resigning from ANBU soon." Sakura was shocked. How could he even think of doing that? She thought he was tolerant of ANBU, probably the closest thing he'd come to love. "I shall be taking up a Genin team," he explained. "I have grown tedious of ANBU." Sakura gaped and placed a tender arm on his shoulder.

"It must have been hard for you," she sympathized. Itachi's glazed over with something undeterminable before grasping her hand in such a gentle way.

"Thank you, Sakura." Sakura bit her upper lip, holding back a gasp. When his fingertips left her hand, Sakura almost frowned. She appreciated that Itachi was so caring, but the moment he even glanced at her, a foreign fluttering motion would start in her chest. He most definitely made her nervous with all his intensity. It wasn't quite fear, but it wasn't physical attraction either.

They had reached Sakura's home at a leisurely pace, the silence eventually becoming comfortable for Sakura. She said goodbye to the polite man and went to bed, not expecting her boyfriend waiting on her couch.

He grabbed her before she could scream. "Calm down, Sakura. It's only me," he informed her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Sakura regulated her breathing and eventually made herself calm. "Good. Are you feeling better?" Sasuke whispered. Sakura nodded and rested her head on her chest.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him. Returning the hug, Sasuke placed a kiss on her hairline. Sensing his hesitation, Sakura looked into his eyes. Lightly touching her elbows, he rested his forehead on hers, eyes boring into hers.

"I am leaving the village to join sound, and I want you to come with me."

Sakura just gaped at him with her mouth open. "St-stop joking around," she stuttered. His grasp on her elbows tightened considerably, and Sakura was surprised that she actually felt pain. "I thought you had a mission tonight," she whimpered.

"I lied," he hissed, nails digging into soft flesh. "Sakura, Orochimaru made me an offer I don't want to refuse."

"It doesn't mean you can't," Sakura stated flatly. Sasuke's eyes swirled into the Sharingan.

"Sakura, me and you could rule Sound together, and I would be able to gain enough power to overthrow Konoha." Sakura audibly gasped this time.

"H-how could you even say that?" she shrilled. "Konoha is your home, _our_ home. Why would you want to destroy such a beautiful village?" Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Power," he answered. "The ones with the most power control most things. You should know this, seeing my father working in a sold position." Sakura pursed her lips and yanked her body away from Sasuke.

"It's always about your father," she said quietly. "Even I am not important enough to make you forgive him, am I?" This time, it was Sasuke who was speechless.

He stepped closer to her. "Sakura, I didn't mean-"

"Enough!" she snapped. "I'm not leaving with you, and that's final." Sasuke's shoulder tensed visibly at her proclamation, he closed his eyes sadly.

"Then I'm sorry I have to do this," he whispered, tomoe spinning around seemingly endlessly. Sakura fell into his arms, instantly unconscious.

Then he was gone.

* * *

I believe that all o' y'all should review. ;)


	3. Ashamed

Sorry for the late late late update! Life intervened. Thanks to all who reviewed.

Sorry for posting this chapter twice. I just realized that since I updated it late, you all probably didn't have a chance to read it. My apologies. If you did read it, it is the same content so you don't have to read again. :)

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

"Then he used his Sharingan on me, and I passed out. I don't know what happened after that," Sakura finished, a quiver in her voice. Ibiki nodded.

"Anything else noteworthy, Haruno-san?" Sakura thought about it for a few moments.

"You know, there was this mark on his neck. It looked really strange; it was like three Sharingan tomoe trying to merge together at the center." Ibiki immediately froze, and an unhealthy, pallid color toned his face. This did not go unnoticed by Sakura, but she chose to say nothing. "Anything else I can tell you?"

"... that will be all, Haruno-san. You are dismissed." Sakura eagerly got up and ignored the wrinkles on her clothes, quickly exiting the interrogation chambers.

She just wandered around the village aimlessly, not wanting to go back home. The fear and pain would be too much. Her feet, of their own accord, led her to the most painful place.

The Uchiha Compound.

Mikoto walked to the house with a panic. Her son had not come home last night, and there had been no mission. She had checked. Sasuke had lied to her. He almost never lied to her. Upon arriving at the compound, Mikoto noticed that Sakura was standing in a daze in front of the gates. Trotting quickly to her son's girlfriend, Mikoto was eager to hear if Sakura knew where he was. Maybe he had been with her the whole night... Mikoto shook her head. Really, it was okay if Sasuke was with her the whole night. He was a healthy young man, after all. Now, if only Itachi could find a girlfriend...

"Sakura?" Mikoto called out gently, still startling the girl. "Have you seen Sasuke?" There was an uncomfortable silence hanging over their heads. "Sakura, is everything all right? Sasuke didn't-"

"Mikoto-san, we need to talk," Sakura whispered grimly. "It's extremely important.

Sakura told Mikoto everything. Mikoto wept on Sakura's shoulder for what seemed like hours. Sakura would not cry. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry for that bastard! Leaving everyone behind like that just for the sake of power. How would Naruto react? Kakashi-sensei?

Sasuke had claimed to love her. What a liar. A fucking liar.

* * *

Sakura returned from her shift at the hospital to find herself staring at her door. She couldn't go in. Not yet. She swiftly ran to the dreaded Uchiha Compound, sniffing up her tears all the way. The guards let her in, recognizing her. She banged on Mikoto's door.

Fugaku opened it.

Sakura took a good look at the man. He was supposed to be proud, vain, and condescending, but he looked nothing like Sasuke described him to be. He looked tired. Sad. Disappointed.

"Sakura," he croaked, voice wary from exhaustion. "You are Sakura, right?"

"Mm-hmm." Sakura wiped away tears that had formed and nodded. "C-could I talk to Mikoto-san?"

He sighed, not even bothering with the Uchiha grunt. "Come on in." He held the door open for her, permitting her to come inside. Sakura felt sparks light up in the bottom of her heart. Anger. Sasuke's father was nothing like what Sasuke had said about him. Sakura, led by the Uchiha head, arrived in the kitchen. Mikoto, who had been slumped over the kitchen table while folding clothes, immediately stood up.

"Sakura-chan," she said, surprise laced throughout her voice. "It's nine! You should be at home, getting some rest."

"I-I c-can't," Sakura whimpered. "That- that was the last p-place I saw him and-" She could say no more, but she didn't have to. Mikoto took the girl in her arms.

"It's all right. We have more rooms than we can fill up. I'm sure we can spare one for you." Thus, Mikoto walked Sakura to a room. She instructed Sakura as to where the bathroom were, where the feminine supplies were, and where Itachi was. "If you need anything, he's across and two doors down. He's very anti-social, but he'd love to help, dear." Sakura gave a nod of thanks as Mikoto handed her a pair of pajama pants and a shirt. "We're about the same size," she explained. "Don't worry! I just finished washing them ten minutes ago." And then she left Sakura alone.

Sakura changed into her sleepwear and lied down on the bed. Soon, she found she could not sleep. She just watched her fan go round and round endlessly until she found herself wanting to rip it off the ceiling, the spinning reminding her of the tomoe of Sasuke's Sharingan. She opted to go sit in the hallway instead, recollecting her thoughts.

Itachi could not sleep.

He could not believe that his little brother would such a heinous thing. Sasuke had always shown an intense hatred for his father, but this...this was going too far. Feeling that his bladder was full and needing to clear his thoughts anyway, Itachi opened the door and strode to the bathroom. Once finished with his business, he washed and scrubbed his hands for at least thirty seconds before finally exiting.

When he was out, he found a certain pink-haired girl out in the hallway that had not been there before. _Sakura, _he thought. _What...Why is she here?_

He cleared his throat, startling Sakura. Her hand flew to her chest, her breathing uneven. She swore under her breath, Itachi's keen ears catching it but choosing to ignore it.

"Good morning, Sakura."

"Huh, it is two." And that was all she said. Itachi, who had been standing quite awkwardly there for a while, chose to lean on the wall in front of her.

"Is something the matter?" he asked. A pink head snapping up, Itachi took notice of red-rimmed eyes and an ever present scowl.

"What do you think?" she snapped vehemently. Itachi was not surprised at her hostility, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"I'm sorry for asking," he apologized quietly. They basked in silence for a few more minutes before Sakura decided to speak again.

"Why?" she choked. Itachi did not answer. "Why did he leave?"

"I don't know," he replied truthfully. Sakura stood to her feet and grabbed the collar of Itachi's shirt, shaking him.

"Couldn't you have stopped him?" she shrieked, her voice no louder than a whisper. She had cried too much for her voice to actually make an angry sound.

"Sakura, I-" But he could say no more. Sakura's lips were on his furiously, and they were sure to bruise tomorrow. "Sakura!" he hissed.

"Make me forget. Just for tonight," she whispered against his lips, creating a pleasurable sensation.

"No," he said sternly. "Sakura, you are hurt, and you are not thinking straight."

"I know, and I don't care. Please," she implored him, her mouth on his neck, almost ready to devour him. Itachi already felt the physical betrayal of his body. It was impossible now.

"All right," he gave in.

Itachi pulled her into a searing kiss, dragging her into his bedroom. He shut the door.

* * *

Review please!

P.S. Just cause they had hot smex doesn't mean they're together. Keep that in mind.


	4. Regret

Hey! I am so sorry for the long update! The next one will be soon, I promise! anyway, many thanks to those who reviewed and faved and alerted. xD I love you all!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

Sakura walked home, feeling hurt and disappointed with herself.

She had been saving her precious virginity for fifteen years, just for Sasuke. Now she had just lost it to his older brother who probably didn't give a damn about her. However, Sakura wouldn't cry. Not now. Not ever. Okay, maybe that was an overstatement, but she hated how weak she was. She would only cry about the things worth having tears over. Only those.

Itachi was not having a good morning.

His mother had deemed it unnecessary to make breakfast. Now he actually had to talk to her. He prayed. Oh, did he pray! He could only hope that his mother had slept peacefully through the night and had not heard any screams of pleasure coming from his quarters. His father was a different story. He was almost positive that is his father had heard; he was, after all, a shinobi with enhanced hearing and senses. The worst part was that he could probably smell them in the act. SMELL them. It was not a nice thought to entertain.

"So Itachi..." Itachi jumped at the sound of his mother's voice. "Did Sakura sleep soundly through the night?"

"Yes," he lied smoothly. "I did not hear her wake up." Fugaku raised a brow. He knew his son was blatantly lying but did not find the need to call him out on it.

Yet.

Itachi politely excused himself after finishing his tea and walked out the house. He would not find peace in his room; it still smelled like HER. But it was just as awful outside.

There were Sakura petals falling everywhere. He finally found a bench to sit on and let his face fall into his hands with a groan.

Every place or region that their skin or mouths had made contact was burning insistently. Liquid fire ran through his veins at just the memory. His heart beat erratically and painfully against his chest, threatening to burst out any moment. Now- that had been Itachi's first time. He had never, ever, ever shown interest in women before, and he had just slept with his brother's girlfriend, someone he barely knew! He was sure it had been Sakura's, as well. She was the type of girl to save herself up for the one she loved, and now she had just wasted it on a perfect stranger. I should have insisted on abstaining, Itachi pondered, not able to get his mistake out of his mind. For mainly one reason.

They had not used protection.

For one, Sakura had insisted they not use it. She claimed that as a medic, she was able to regulate her body's hormone levels to be similar to birth control. Also, Itachi had never needed it so he didn't own any.

His thoughts were interrupted by an ANBU whirling out of nowhere. Or, a supposed ANBU. "Madara," he greeted.

"Itachi," he said with a nod.

"What brings you to the village?" Itachi asked, motioning for the notorious "criminal" to sit down beside him, and Madara did.

"I felt that I should tell you that Sasuke has joined Akatsuki." Itachi's eyes widened. He drew himself out of his depression and sat up attentively to the older man.

"But he just left over a day ago."

"Evidently, he has created a widespread transportation jutsu that uses little chakra. He was accepted in last night. He arrived a day ago." Itachi's lips set into a grim line. So, this was how it was to be... "Who's his partner?"

"Well... I don't know.

Yet."

* * *

Sakura groaned as her head hit the desk. The throbbing between her legs had not stopped, and it was interfering with her work. She hadn't expected for them to do it so many times. God, it hurt! She had been work on a little boy's arm, and she felt a flash of pain pass through there. There were times when the pain was just dull, but there were also times when she was doubled over in pain. Tears came to her eyes... Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea. _Let's face it, Sakura. You regret it._

Suddenly, she heard someone sit down across from her, and she lifted her head. It was the sexy, new medic, Daru. Yes, he was sexy. Probably better looking than Sasuke, not that she'd ever tell him that. "Having a rough day?" he asked sympathetically. Sakura nodded.

"You have no idea." He smiled sadly at her and handed her a coffee. She gaped at him openly.

"You looked like you needed one." She thanked him softly before taking the warm object in her hands. She just shook her head as tears started to come. He was being so considerate, so kind.

So not like Sasuke.

"Hey! I promise things will get better," he said, handing her a handkerchief. "I promise it." Sakura laughed a little. She could only hope.

* * *

_Two days later..._

Orochimaru cackled as he led Sasuke into the headquarters. "Everyone!" he boomed with his raspy voice. "We have a new member!" All the heads, ten to be exact, turned slowly to stare at Sasuke. He just stared impassively back. Orochimaru laughed once again. "Sasuke-kun, I wish you could be my partner-" the raven-headed kid mentally cringed at the innuendo "-but we have someone here who has insisted on being without a partner for far too long." Without warning, the Sannin started to walk leisurely, and Sasuke followed without a second thought. He walked up to one of the pedestals and motioned for the man to come down. The man complied and jumped. The first thing Sasuke noticed was long, white hair.

The second was blindingly, red eyes.

He visibly cringed. "I have to work with an albino?" he spat at Orochimaru. The unnamed man narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha and put on his straw hat, the bell tinkling as he did so. Orochimaru ignored his snide comment with a fanged grin.

"Sasuke-kun, this is Hakamura Mora-kun." Mora didn't bother to say anything. Sasuke didn't either. They both stood there in silence before Mora opened his mouth to speak.

"I refuse." Sasuke activated his Sharingan. This guy had the nerve to reject him? Stupid weakling, he would-

"Sasuke-kun is your partner," Orochimaru repeated. "Unless you want to be kicked out." Mora grunted in submission.

"Fine. You win." Orochimaru gave Sasuke and Mora sickeningly sweet smiles, and Mora brought his face out of the cloak a little bit, leading Sasuke to realize why Orochimaru liked the two of them, Mora and Sasuke.

It was because they were both pretty.

* * *

Like that bit of humor at the end? Haha, okay. no.

Well, I have another ItaSaku story going as some of you know, and it is going to end soon. On my profile, there is a poll going, asking which ItaSaku story you want me to start next. The descriptions of the two are somewhere in there. It would help me out a great deal if you voted. xD

Well! Bye-bye!

Thank you for reading!


	5. Change

Very sorry for the late update! Forgive me.

Thanks to any and all who reviewed/alerted/faved.

I'll try to update faster next time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

Any feedback is appreciated immensely. Whether it be a smiley or frowny face or an essay.

* * *

Three years later...

Sakura moaned sleepily as she heard alarm clock ring irritatingly. Groping for the off button, she accidentally knocked it over. Sighing, she bended over to get it, struggling to keep herself on the bed. Preparing herself for the next wind of cold, she thrust her blankets off. Goose bumps rose on her arms and legs, and she rubbed her arms vigorously. After going to the bathroom, she walked into the kitchen.

There was a body on her kitchen table.

Sakura simply rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. Genma let out an exasperated breath. "That wasn't very nice, Sakura-chan. Ignoring someone like that."

"You've been doing this for the past six months, Genma. I'm used to it now." Genma gave her a goofy grin.

"Well, if you would just accept to be on our team, I would totally stop. We really need a medic, y'know."

Genma's team consisted of Uchiha Shisui, himself, and...

_Uchiha Itachi, _Sakura remembered with a gulp. She tried to force the memories away, but no matter how much time passed, she still could not forget that she had lost her virginity to him. "No thanks," she snorted. "I've got better things to do than be your eye candy."

Genma just smiled. "I'll come back in two weeks." Sakura cocked a brow.

"Two weeks?"

"Yup. I'm going on a mission tonight. Huh...we have to take your **boyfriend** along instead of you. We can't just get temporary medics, y'know! We need a full time one. Preferably with pink hair and green eyes." He winked. However, it was clear that Sakura had stopped listening long ago. He just rolled his eyes and left through the front door.

_He's going? _She shook her head wearily. _Damn, now I'm going to worry endlessly until he gets back. _

After cooking herself a quick breakfast, Sakura got ready for work. She had learned long ago that wearing something too revealing was just asking for a patient to grope you. She dressed herself in her normal vest and pants, slipped on her sandals, and went on her way. Along the way, she bumped into Naruto.

"Hey, you're up early," she commented with a smile. Naruto snorted.

"Well, I promised Sotche that I'd be early this time..."

Ah, Sotche. Naruto's new teammate.

Team seven had broken up after Sasuke left. Naruto joined a new team, Kakashi went back to ANBU, and Sakura? Well, she had done a few missions here and there but nothing serious. Nothing exciting.

She hated being weak. Sure, she had super strength and phenomenal medical skills, but she wasn't getting anywhere. She was stuck. She missed it.

She missed HIM.

Shaking her head from her thoughts, Sakura realized that she had arrived at the hospital. Sighing, she entered with every thought of finding her boyfriend. "Michi," she started, directing her question to the secretary at the front.

"Have you seen Daru?"

* * *

"I thought you would tell me if you got a new mission!" Sakura hissed, slamming her hands down on his desk.

"I only knew twenty minutes ago. It's beyond me why Genma would you tell you first, but I have to finish up with one more patient, and then I have to get ready. I'm sorry, Sakura."

He sighed and pushed back his bangs. "Is it S-rank?" Sakura asked quietly. By the way he grabbed her into his lap, she figured that, yes, it was an S-rank mission. The conversation was clearly over as he buried his face into her hair for comfort.

* * *

Itachi could usually be patient, but this was too much. Shisui was forty-seven minutes late.

"Unacceptable," he grumbled to himself, poised without slouching. Genma just clucked his tongue.

"You youngsters, always squirreling around and coming late."

"I am never late," Itachi retorted.

"Well, you're too old for your age, Itachi."

Shisui came running, lipstick marks covering his face. "Sorry I'm late, gentlemen. The ladies just didn't want to see me go."

_Rather, you did not want to go_, Itachi thought bitterly.

Itachi had not quit the ANBU force. He refused to let anyone else search for Sasuke because when Itachi found him, he would beat the living shit out of him.

"We shall travel twelve miles tonight before reviewing the mission," Itachi stated curtly, not wishing to talk to any of the others at this moment. Especially the medic.

They all nodded and headed out, jumping from tree to tree swiftly. Minutes, then hours passed by in a blur, before Itachi deemed it acceptable to allow his team to rest. He landed fluidly on the ground, and his team followed suit.

"We will go over the mission here," he said. "Genma, firewood. Shisui, water and food. Daru, you stay here with me."

Shisui groaned, "Why do I always have to get the food? Those rabbits are a pesky bunch, hard to catch."

Genma clucked his tongue. "Well, Daru can't go because he's the medic. He has to be safe at all times, and captain has to protect him."

"Go," commanded Itachi. Daru and Itachi sat on the ground gently, not making a sound. Both men were rather silent, only Daru was slightly less awkward.

"How are you?" he asked cordially, taking his ANBU mask off.

"I am well. Yourself?"

"Fine, fine."

They resumed their silence after that. Shisui and Genma quickly came back. The elder whistled. "You two, always so talkative. Stop! I think my head might explode!" Daru weakly smiled while Shisui guffawed obnoxiously.

"Ha," Itachi droned dryly.

Genma laid the firewood down and quickly executed a jutsu to get it going. Daru skinned the three rabbits and staked them above the flickering flames. Idly sitting while all this was going on, Itachi decided to draw out the mission scrolls from his ANBU vest.

"We'll discuss while we wait."

Shisui rolled his eyes. "All of us except Daru know the drill already."

Genma chuckled, "Just let Itachi have his moment."

The ANBU captain unraveled three scrolls and laid them out on the grass. The first one had a picture of Sasuke in an Akatsuki cloak. The second was an albino whose face could not be seen due to the high collar of the coat and the straw hat covering his eyes.

"Our targets are Uchiha Sasuke and Mora of the organization Akatsuki," he deadpanned. "Both are S-class criminals. Akatsuki is lead by Orochimaru, who defected from Konoha. Our targets are partners in this criminal organization." Daru hummed, letting Itachi know that he had been listening.

Shisui snickered childishly, slapping his hands on his knees. "Sasuke just gets all the luck. It's a wonder how Mora has not killed him yet." Daru's eyes widened a fraction.

"It says here that Mora murdered his last partner."

Genma's lips set into a grim line. "That's correct."

Itachi ignored the uncomfortable feeling in the air and continued on. "Mora is presumably very strong. He did indeed kill his last partner, claiming that he was fine on his own..."

"-we would know; we were there-" Shisui interjected.

"...he does not use hand signs, as well. He is water-style. Uchiha Sasuke, the latter of the two, is fire-style. He possesses the sharingan-"

"We don't have to go over this part, Taichou," Daru softly said. "I've looked over all his files a million times for psychological and medical reasons."

Itachi nodded.

"The aim of this mission is to capture the two of them and return them to Konoha, where they will be interrogated. They are to be caught alive."

"How about half-dead?"

"Shisui, silence."

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	6. Failed

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

Thanks to all who reviewed, alerted, and faved. If you could do so again, it'd make my day.

* * *

As Mora slipped dango into his mouth, Sasuke harrumphed. They were always sitting down, doing nothing important, and he had to stay with this freak of nature was possibly the best shinobi he had ever seen eat using the money Sasuke had earned. Life was unfair. He wanted a new partner. Well, he had wanted a new partner for years, but Orochimaru always insisted that Mora and Sasuke worked well together, which they didn't. Their arguing, which usually led to Mora being right, though Sasuke would never admit it, was a hindrance in missions. Sasuke did not like to follow orders blindly, like a dog. It was part of the reason he left the village.

He was destined to be a leader.

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his thoughts when Mora stomped on his foot. The boy immediately activated his sharingan, glowering at the elder with murderous intent in his eyes. "What do you want, you albino faggot?"

"We're being followed," he said coolly, tearing off a piece of the sweet treat. "Since three towns back. It's your goddamn brother."

Sasuke's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fist tightly. "I see."

"You see, huh?" Mora drawled out condescendingly. "You didn't notice it when it started. I see that you can see, weakling." He ripped off the last of his dango and gulped it down hastily, not even bothering to taste it. Sasuke's growled as he wrapped his thumbs around his fingers even more, his hand curling up into an even smaller ball with veins popping out due to the muscle strain. He swore that someday, he would kill this man, treating him as if he were inferior. This was not what Sasuke had signed up for, this useless power-play, especially when it was obvious that Sasuke would always be a better leader than Mora. Mora stood up, leaving some coins on the table as a tip. "All right, boy. Let's get them off of our trail."

"Don't tell me what to fucking do. We're supposed to go back to headquarters," Sasuke hissed. Mora rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure the rapist would be happy if Konoha-nin found our headquarters. They have Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke. I shouldn't have to tell you how strong he's rumored to be."

"They're just rumors."

"All rumors have a basis." When Sasuke did not comply, Mora put on his straw hat, hooding his red eyes. "Sasuke, you know what happened with my last partner.

If you don't cooperate, I will kill you."

The bell tinkled.

* * *

"Taichou, they're moving," Shisui said normally. No one would be able to hear them anyway; the town was bustling with life, women and children alike chattering away about their mundane days. Itachi envied them, so carefree, so young. Not knowing the horrors of the real world.

He didn't want to do this anymore.

Shisui went ahead with Genma, leaving Daru behind with Itachi. Shoving his hands into his pockets angrily, Itachi went forth, his silent steps leaving behind no imprint. That's when he heard it.

"Taichou, are you sure you should be leading this mission?" Itachi froze in his tracks.

Starting up again, he murmured, "Why shouldn't I be?"

Daru shook his head. "There are a plethora of reasons that you shouldn't be leading this mission. You shouldn't even **be** on this mission."

Itachi was silent, not wanting to hear anymore. He tried to block out Daru's words, tried to shove them out of his mind, but the little, traitorous, logical voice in the back of his mind told him that Daru's words preached the truth.

But he felt that if he could just reach him, Sasuke would listen to his older brother. After all, Itachi loved him enough to give his own life for Sasuke. He would like to consider himself one of Sasuke's dearly beloved ones.

Daru continued, "I know how it feels. I myself have a sibling that is a nuke-nin. She has been for seven years now. At first, I went on countless missions to retrieve her. Three members of my team are crippled now due to a mistake in judgment." He looked straight at Itachi. "I know. You think they will listen to you because they once loved you, and they will be able to feel that. But they can't. You also think you can make logical decisions, decisions that won't hurt your team. But it's impossible. Unless you can think with an extremely clear head, with no bias, you won't succeed.

That's just the way things are, Itachi."

Itachi couldn't help but see this boy as an enemy because when he looked at him, it was like seeing a mirror image of himself. He _hated _it.

"Taichou," came the buzz from the earpiece, "they're heading to Harubo forest. Shall we follow?"

Itachi took a deep breath.

"Proceed."

* * *

"Shit!" Mora cursed as the two broke out into a run. "If you had just listened to me-"

"When do I **ever** listen to you-"

"Well, you should! We're in Harubo forest! It's about two percent forest and ninety-eight percent lake and rock! There is nowhere to hide. I told you we should have ditched to cloaks, made clones to run off, transform, then split up into the crowds. But do you listen? Of course not because Mister high and mighty can't stand to get off his horse and fucking **listen**!" the albino spat angrily, red eyes flashing dangerously. "I swear, I will _kill_ you if they don't kill you first."

Sasuke, a polar opposite, narrowed his eyes at his partner. "You wouldn't dare. Orochimaru would murder you if you did that."

"You think I'm afraid of that fag? I'll show you who's the fucking boss!"

Before that, though, they sent chakra to their feet and ran across the water, stopping abruptly in the middle. "You're lucky we don't have time."

"Likewise," Sasuke said dryly. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he awaited the confrontation with his brother.

* * *

Shisui didn't want to do this.

Yes, Sasuke was a traitorous bastard with a sour attitude, but he was still little Sasuke-chan to Shisui. His little, baby cousin.

A cute child that had killed forty-seven people in the past year. That's what he was.

"Genma, I'm nervous," Shisui said easily, not caring how it sounded. He wasn't ashamed of his emotions, and he said it in a carefree way. "I'm nervous and scared. I'm not cut out for this."

Genma nodded once. "Shisui, you're better off than Itachi. Trust me. I swear, I'm too old for this."

Chuckling, Shisui taunted, " You're what, forty?"

Harrumphing, Genma stopped abruptly and put his hands on his hips in a very manly fashion, he convinced himself. "I am a youthful thirty-four. Don't beat on me because you're jealous that I get all the ladies."

Shisui snorted. "As if."

The two stopped talking to observe their surroundings. There weren't many trees, but they were tall and skinny. Not the best to hop on. Shisui squinted up ahead, not bothering to activate his Sharingan. "What the hell? They're just standing there.

Genma radioed in on Itachi. "Taichou, they're standing on the lake right before the waterfall. They're...waiting for us."

Both of the criminals were staring at the four incoming ninja, stone-faced, mismatching red eyes.

Shisui shuddered. Itachi landed first, then Genma, then Shisui, and lastly Daru.

Trying to calm his racing heart, Itachi let out a deep breath, trying to get a clear head. All of the men were silent until...

"Well, got something to say? Or are we just going to stare at each other like this is some sort of goukon? Because if that's the case, I choose Shisui-kun. He's hot," the white-haired boy flippantly said.

Shisui gave the albino a brilliant smile. "Ooh. Raunchy."

"Damn straight, it is."

"Shisui, do not flirt with the enemy."

"Got it, Itachi. Sorry."

Itachi took one step forward. "Sasuke," he started.

"Bastard," was the reply. It was literally spat out. The vehemence permeated Itachi's skin, giving him shivers. Not the good kind. Itachi felt afraid of his own brother. Cute, little Sasuke who used to sprain his ankle, trying to be like his older brother. Then Itachi would tell him anecdotes about any little thing while supporting his younger brother's weight on his back. Then Fugaku would pretend to be disappointed in Sasuke, but when the boy wasn't around, he would smile and speak fondly of him. Was it because of Fugaku's supposed ignorance that Sasuke left? Or was it Itachi, who had made his goals almost unattainable? Was it Orochimaru's fault, as Sa- Haruno-san had said, whom had made an offer Sasuke did not want to refuse? Or was it Sasuke himself?

Who was to be blamed for this situation?

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Sasuke, do something."

"Why me?" he snarled, shoving his partner.

"They're not my family! You do something, you faggot! Do it or I'll _**fucking**_ kill you!""

"Hey, hey! Only **I'm** allowed to talk to him that way!"

"Shisui, _silence_!"

And silent Shisui went. The tension in the air was tangible. Sasuke felt like he was being strangled. Finally, he spat, "Fuck off, Itachi! I'm never going back so you and your little team can go back to where you came from."

Genma whistled. "So you're not even interested in how Sakura's doing, eh?"

That caught the boy's attention. "What about her? Is she okay?" he spat out.

Shisui laughed and pointed his thumb toward Daru, jabbing the medic in the chest. "He probably knows better than we do. He IS her boyfriend, after all."

Sasuke saw red. This man had stolen Sakura from him. So Sasuke attacked. Luckily, since he was a medic, Daru was very good at dodging and swiftly tilted his body to the side so he wouldn't be impacted by Sasuke's chidori.

This was exactly what Itachi had in mind for the mission. Shisui didn't like it, but he agreed that it would have the highest success rate. Daru would keep Sasuke at bay and render him unconscious when he found an opening while three of them would defeat, incapacitate, or kill Mora.

Mora, immediately recognizing his partner's stupidity and the opposing side's plan, yelled out, "Idiot! It's a trap!" but Sasuke ignored his partner and continued to chase after Daru, who was actually pretty quick on his toes. Despite how mild and calm he always looked, he was a ninja as well, and he was in the prime of his youth.

The white-haired boy started to go after Sasuke, but Shisui quickly stepped in his way. "Sorry, Mora. Orders are orders, after all."

Soon, the Mora was surrounded on all sides, and instead of panicking, he smiled. He calmly looked around the circle and said, "You guys are such gluttons for punishment."

And he unleashed his Jutsu.

A behemoth water dragon rose from the clear depths, perfectly in order and smashed back into its origins, near the four. Mora, of course, had sneakily sidled away while the rest gaped at the humongous thing. Genma, being the ever astute ninja that he was, moved first, not wanting to get hurt by that thing. Shisui and Itachi were next.

Genma called out to the pair. "Hey, Uchiha! Turn off your Sharingan; they're no use here. It would be just a waste of energy." It was true. In the few moments of confusion, Mora had disappeared. Begrudgingly, Shisui deactivated his, but he noticed his cousin was not doing the same. He shrugged it off. Itachi's might be seeing something his couldn't.

* * *

Itachi couldn't predict any of Mora's movements. The man was literally the perfect ninja to combat the Sharingan; unpredictable, fast, and he also had the advantages of using no hand signs. On top of that, he was exceptionally strong, something that was earned by hard work, Itachi could see.

Itachi hated this man.

He knew Mora wasn't the one who had stolen Sasuke away from Konoha, but his resentment just did not go to Orochimaru. Maybe, Mora had been part of the plot...however, Mora seemed to deem Sasuke as an idiot, as everyone could see, and had even threatened Sasuke's wellbeing in front of them.

Perhaps not.

Mora threw jutsu after jutsu at them, and Itachi still could not tell where he was. Water style users only had to be near water to use it, and sometimes not even, but Mora was not the type to run away.

Sure enough, Itachi soon felt the impact of a foot connecting his stomach, water splashing onto his pants and shirt. It was all so simple. Mora had been hiding underneath the water. Being in ANBU had made him forget the vital acronym, K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid. Most S-class nin had forgotten about this rule, but Mora obviously had not.

Shisui threw a barrage of shuriken at Mora, and the white-haired villain made two water clones, one for Genma, another for the elder Uchiha. They hastily got into a taijutsu battle that neither of them could get close to winning.

All was ruined.

The real Mora grinned maliciously at Itachi, and he felt shivers go up his spine when he saw those naturally red eyes. They were...bloodthirsty.

He raised his hand and pointed to the sky.

Then the winds picked up and the lake started swirling upward to the sky like a hurricane. The three ran, knowing that even when they did, the results would be disastrous.

They would need backup.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, wait! Hear me out!"

"I don't want to hear it!" he retorted, swinging his fists at the medic. He was too blind with rage to think of doing anything besides hand to hand combat. Of course, the dumb asshole dodged them each time. "Just stay put and let me kill you."

Daru narrowed his eyes at Sasuke, seeing as he was serious and thought Daru would obey his orders. Had he really gone this insane? Did he really think Daru was just going to listen to him and lay back lazily as Sasuke murdered him?

He spotted the curse mark on Sasuke's shoulder expanding over his body. "Oh, dear," he said, his hand covering his mouth. "That is-" Daru didn't have a chance to finish his sentence for Sasuke was now **flying** at him. _Flying. Sasuke-kun is fucking flying. _

Daru performed his first jutsu, a fireball. It nicked Sasuke in the shoulder, but he paid no heed to it. He was dead set on killing Daru, and so it went. It was just a silly chase, after all, Daru didn't really want to engage Sasuke went he looked like a demon. When he was reaching the end of his patience, Daru said something that was true, and he knew would cause Sasuke to react for just a moment, so he could get one hit in."She still loves you!" he yelled, cupping his mouth so the sound would go further. Indeed, Sasuke froze. Daru saw his opening. Calling chakra to his hand for a chakra scalpel, he hit Sasuke square on the liver.

Sasuke's eyes opened wide. He made a choking noise, and blood started overflowing from his mouth. The boy stumbled, doubled over, then fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless, though Daru knew better. He only put enough chakra in to cause him extreme discomfort for a few days to week, and Sasuke would recover quickly. However, he was not expecting the girlish roar that came from above him. Mora was jumping above him, foot raised high, momentum indicating that he was going to swing down. He felt something connect with his head, hard, and he heard a crack.

Then all went black.

* * *

"Daru!" Shisui screamed when he saw Mora give the kid a hammer kick to the head that was infused with chakra. Daru crumpled to the ground. He drew out a kunai and whipped it at record speed at the missing nin from Akatsuki.

Perhaps it was by chance, perhaps Mora saw it coming and just chose not to dodge, but one thing was for sure. The kunai hit him, just below the ribs.

Mora flashed a red glare at Shisui before growling at him like a feral beast. He ignored his wound and picked up Sasuke roughly, tossing him over his shoulder like a rice sack. Then he flash stepped and disappeared.

Shisui, genuinely worried about Daru, ran to the medic and checked his pulse. "It's all right, guys," he panted heavily. "He's still alive."

Genma shook his head. "Not for long." He pointed at Daru's head.

He was bleeding heavily from where Mora had hit him.

"Let us follow."

Shisui sighed, looking at Itachi staring determinedly at the direction where the pair had escaped from. "Itachi, give it up."

"Shisui, just because Daru is injured-"

"Taichou!" Genma shouted, his face turning red and furious. "Give it up! Do NOT go after them. Mora will kill you. We're lucky that three members are relatively uninjured, don't go and make it worse!"

Itachi, his resolve still strong, knew his teammates were right. "You are to listen to your Taichou and your Taichou only-"

"Then we will disobey orders. Itachi, look at all this blood. If we don't get this kid back to Konoha soon, he's gonna die. There's no if or maybe about it!" Shisui hissed. "Pull yourself together! If you go after Mora by yourself, you will never get Sasuke back because you'll be dead!" Itachi's eyes widened immensely. Even Shisui was turning on him. His best friend. Wasn't he supposed to be supporting Itachi? However, he saw the fire in his cousin's eyes and knew it was hopeless. He would disobey orders if Itachi gave them. Finally, Itachi gave in and turned his gaze from what he desired most.

"Let's go back."

* * *

"Sakura-san!" Nurse Miki called out, gasping exasperatedly. She obviously had run all the way to see Sakura, but Sakura was busy with a clinic patient at the moment, an eight year old boy who had broken his arm.

"What is it, Miki? I'm really busy-" she was cut off.

"Tsunade-sama needs you. It's an emergency operation for someone."

"There are other medics available right now-"

"Sakura-san, it's Daru."

The blood drained out of Sakura's face. No! This had never happened before! It couldn't be. "Take me to him," she whimpered shakily.

Miki nodded and grabbed Sakura's hand, taking off down the hallway to the O.R.

* * *

Tsunade had finished the operation rather quickly, but her lips were set in a grim line once she saw her student's face. "Sakura-" she started, but it was no use. Her student would just barge into his room anyway, and indeed she did. She slammed the door of the ICU room open and ran to her precious person's side. Tears streaming down her face, she started moaning and sobbing.

"Daru!" she choked out, grabbing his hand and burying her face into his chest.

"Sakura," Shizune said softly. "It's best not to touch him right now."

Sakura nodded and removed herself from him. "What happened to him?" Seeing how Shizune was stammering and stuttering, Tsunade cleared her throat and took over.

"ANBU team one encountered targets Uchiha Sasuke and Hakamura Mora. While engaging Uchiha Sasuke in battle, Hakamura Mora applied a chakra laced hammer kick to the back of Daru's head." Seeing her student's face urging her to go on, to give her good news, only broke Tsunade's heart more because she knew she could give none. "He's in a coma, Sakura, and he's most likely not going to get out of it."

That was all Sakura needed. She broke down and cried. However, one thing was crystal clear in her mind.

She would get her revenge. Face setting in determination, she abruptly walked out of the ICU, startling both Shizune and the Hokage. Once finding his house, she knocked loudly on Genma's door, demanding that he open up. He came to the door slowly, calling out, "Hold your goddamn horses!" He saw her face, and his face darkened in sympathy. "Listen, Sakura. I'm so sorry about what happened to-"

"I accept the position as permanent medic on ANBU team one," she declared, fists clenching at her sides.

* * *

Thank you for reading!

P.S. y'all should watch me on deviantArt! The link is on my profile. Peace.


	7. Determination

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

Last time:

_"ANBU team one encountered targets Uchiha Sasuke and Shinora Mora. While engaging Uchiha Sasuke in battle, Hakamura Mora applied a chakra laced hammer kick to the back of Daru's head." Seeing her student's face urging her to go on, to give her good news, only broke Tsunade's heart more because she knew she could give none. "He's in a coma, Sakura, and he's most likely not going to get out of it."_

_ That was all Sakura needed. She broke down and cried. However, one thing was crystal clear in her mind._

_ She would get her revenge. Face setting in determination, she abruptly walked out of the ICU, startling both Shizune and the Hokage. Once finding his house, she knocked loudly on Genma's door, demanding that he open up. He came to the door slowly, calling out, "Hold your goddamn horses!" He saw her face, and his face darkened in sympathy. "Listen, Sakura. I'm so sorry about what happened to-"_

_ "I accept the position as permanent medic on ANBU team one," she declared, fists clenching at her sides. _

* * *

The senbon dropped out of Genma's mouth. He was in complete shock. He had never actually expected her to accept the position. He had only been half-serious with her when he asked her to be their team medic. He must have been dreaming.

"Could you repeat that?" he asked dumbly, scratching the back of his head while bending down to pick up his senbon.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I said that I accept the position as permanent medic on ANBU team one."

"Ah, that's what I thought." He stood there, staring at Sakura for a while. It quickly became awkward for her. His head suddenly snapped up, and he laughed nervously. "Come in, Sakura. We'll have a nice little chat."

* * *

"God, why are you so heavy?" Mora complained, lugging a semi-lucid Sasuke on his back into a small hut.

"Shut up." Then he paused. "I'm gonna hurl."

Mora sighed and simply said, "Don't do it on my hair."

They trudged along for a while until Mora spotted a little, wooden hut. "Fucking hallelujah," he snarled, dragging Sasuke in.

He went in through the door, a piece of cloth and found that no one was inhabiting it. "This is where you're going to recover," Mora said, practically throwing Sasuke on the ground.

"Jesus Christ, I hate you!" Sasuke growled, clutching his stomach. Mora carelessly tossed his cloak over Sasuke's body and left the hut. "Where the fuck are you going?" Sasuke yelled, but Mora was long gone.

The pain was overwhelming, and Sasuke vomited many times. His throat was becoming sore, and he could feel the acid burning his esophagus. Coughing, he attempted to sleep, but the pain was too great. For once in his life, he wished his partner would come back and save his butt like he always did...

Wait, no. Ew. Sasuke didn't just think that. That was absolutely disgusting. He did not want Mora to save his butt. Mora could save his own butt. Or light it on fire and feed it to the dogs.

He tried to will away the feeling of the blood from Mora's cloak seeping into his pants. It was so gross, but Sasuke couldn't move. Finally, he heard footsteps approaching the hut and sensed Mora's chakra. Though he did not realize it, Mora sighed a breath of relief when he saw Sasuke still alive.

"Hey, dumbass. I got some medicine from the shaman in town." He poured suspicious looking sludge into a cup. "Drink it."

Sasuke took one whiff of it, and his face contorted, his nose wrinkling up. "It's definitely poisoned. No way, asshole."

Mora's frown deepened. Sasuke hissed when Mora pinned down his shoulders and forced Sasuke's mouth to open. "You fucking reta-" Too late. The liquid was sliding down his throat. It was as disgusting as it smelled, and Sasuke cursed Mora hundreds of times in that short time period.

"Quit being a fucking baby. Now get some rest."

"No way. Let's keep moving."

However, Mora's eyes flashed with anger, and Sasuke decided to not test Mora's patience anymore; after all, the douche was injured himself, and his patience was hanging on a thread. "Just rest," Mora softly huffed, closing his eyes.

Though he tried to defy it, Sasuke found his eyelids drooping and was soon fast asleep.

* * *

Genma and Sakura had a very long chat. A very, very long chat.

He nervously drank his tea and kept looking at the clock. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura wondered why he was being so fidgety, but she supposed she looked like a woman scorned at the moment.

"Sakura...ANBU is a long, lonely road."

"I'm ready." Genma sighed at her eagerness and once again looked at the clock. This was worse than torture...when would it be over?

"Sakura, your, um, motivations for joining are impressive, but you'll have to pass a test that Itachi's going to give." Sakura froze for one moment, contemplating the awkwardness, but tossed those feelings aside.

"I can do it."

Genma exhaled deeply. "Do you have a trainer in mind?" Sakura had to think about that one.

"To be honest, no, but I can find one," she said, practically begging now. "Genma, please. Try to persuade your team." Her eyes watered but were unwavering. "Please."

Genma looked at the girl. She was only eighteen, and she wanted to be in ANBU. Of course, there were people younger than her in ANBU, but she had such a bleeding heart that he wondered if it was possible. Smiling, he decided he'd give her a chance.

"Okay," he gave in, nodding his head. Sakura's eyes brightened. She was about to thank him, but he held out one hand. "One condition. I will choose your teachers." Sakura gulped.

"That's fine."

"Also!" Genma continued. "This is a requirement for all women in ANBU. You will have to learn-ahem- the female arts."

Sakura was confused. "The...female arts?"

Genma gave her a pointed look, but Sakura still didn't understand. Chewing on his senbon ferociously, he grew frustrated when he realized that he would have to explain it to her. "The female arts...the art of seduction."

Sakura's face drained of color. "Excuse me?" she finally managed to choke out, her face reddening.

"You're going to have to learn how to seduce someone. It's standard for kunoichi in ANBU to learn this. You're no exception."

"B-b-but," Sakura stammered, flushing terribly now. "I'm so...I'm so unattractive! It isn't possible for me!"

Genma sighed. She wasn't making this easy. "Sakura, there are few ugly women in the world, and you are not one of them. Anyway, even unattractive women can seduce a man. It takes patience and proper instruction, though. Sakura," he looked her straight in the eyed. "If you want to be in ANBU, you will have to learn this. I will find you the best teacher I can. I promise."

Sakura gulped, not liking the sound of this. However, she had already made up her mind. She couldn't allow Sasuke and Mora to get away with this. She personally needed to see, to feel Mora's demise. Yes, Sakura wanted him dead, at any cost. Exhaling, her eyes locked in with Genma's. "I'll do anything. Genma, let me do this."

Genma's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Very well, Sakura. I'll talk to Itachi for you. You'll meet your trainer at seven thirty tomorrow. Don't be late."

Sakura smiled, but it quickly vanished when she thought of Daru. She silently promised him that he would get his justice.

* * *

She woke up bright and early the next morning, prepared herself a lunch, and headed off to the training grounds. To her horror, she found Shisui there, waiting for her.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" he chirped, waving at her. Sakura almost turned around, but she decided not to when she remembered her goal.

"Hello," she said quietly, slowly walking over to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shimmering on the ground and hopped back. Shisui genuinely smiled, impressed.

"You caught that, huh?" Sakura had narrowly avoided walking into a trip wire which would activate a trap.

"You move fast," she said.

"What can I say?" he shrugged. "That's my style."

Except for lunch time, they worked nonstop. Shisui instructed her on how to move faster than she was, because honestly, she was a bit slow. It was the dodging exercise with Tsunade-sama all over again.

This continued for two weeks. Sakura would hurry to the training ground, sometimes traps located on the way there, and she would rest only for lunch. Shisui made sure to mix things up so her muscles wouldn't get too accustomed to doing the same things and also made sure that she was going home sore and exhausted every single day. However, that didn't stop Sakura from visiting Daru in the hospital. Shisui knew she'd do this, but it didn't stop him from worry about her mental state.

Every night, Sakura'd go and hold his hand. It was romantic, but Shisui and Genma worried about her. She hadn't cried since the first day. It almost seemed as if she was unable to cry for her loss. Maybe she was holding onto hope that he'd wake up. However, he had talked to Tsunade herself. She said the chances of him regaining consciousness were slim.

Shisui sighed. He wondered if it was really the right call for Sakura to be in ANBU, in their group. He knew she probably still held feelings for Sasuke, but after all the anger she had built up over the years...He shook his head. This wasn't going to end nicely. Especially not with Mora in the way.

* * *

"Agh!" Sasuke shouted, trying to swat Mora off of him.

"Chill the fuck out!" Mora snapped, lifting up Sasuke's shirt. "Stop struggling, and it'll all be over soon."

"I said it hurts!"

"Of course it hurts!" He placed a hand on Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke blanched.

"It seems your stomach isn't doing too great, but your liver's healing fast," observed Mora, pulling Sasuke's shirt back down. "We should be able to get back to our normal lives in about two days."

Sasuke stared at Mora's side. It did not go unnoticed, and the man growled. "What do you want?"

"Didn't you get hurt, too?" asked Sasuke, quirking a brow.

Mora snorted. "Whatever."

Sasuke sneered at him. "Hypocrite."

"Hey," Mora grunted. "I wasn't the one who crumbled to the ground. Remember who carried you here? And you didn't even thank me."

"Shut up," bit out Sasuke.

"Anyway, we should probably get out of here."

Sasuke would never admit it, but he was thankful. If Mora ever found out, Sasuke'd kill that bitch himself.

* * *

Sakura was wary the entire time she went to the training grounds, but there had been no traps, which was odd. Shisui usually set at least one trap.

Upon entering the training grounds, she saw that he was with a woman, and he was making her laugh. Upon seeing the expression on the "player's" face (really, women just harassed him all the time, and he just enjoyed it), she knew he was in love this woman.

"Hello," Sakura said tentatively. Shisui smiled.

"Sakura, this is Haruna. She's Daru's sister. She'll also be teaching you how to seduce a guy." Sakura bowed at the woman; she had had no idea that he had a sister. Then again, Daru was an extremely private person.

"Don't say it so rudely," Haruna interjected, glaring at him. "Sakura-chan, I really hope you'll never have to use these skills. Now Shisui, go away."

"I don't want to," he whined, but Sakura joined Haruna in glaring at him. "Fine," he gave in, walking away from the training grounds. "Don't hurt her too much."

Haruna shook her head. "That idiot. Anyway, Sakura, I'm sorry for asking such a personal question, but I have to know. Are you a virgin?"

Sakura's cheeks flamed.

Haruna chuckled. "Well, judging by your reaction, you are, but don't worry-"

"No."

A pause. "Did you say no?" Sakura nodded.

"It was a long time ago, wasn't it?" Sakura nodded yet again, too embarrassed to say anything. Haruna shook her head.

"Well, this makes it both harder and easier. Sakura, your first mission is to go to the bookstore and buy some porn."

Sakura's head snapped up. "Excuse me?" she blurted incredulously.

Haruna grinned. "That's right, and you have to buy it yourself. You can't borrow it from a friend or get one to buy it for you."

"All by myself?"

"All by yourself."

* * *

Took so long to update! Sorry! updates will now be more frequent! Review if you'd please.


	8. Approval

Sakura awkwardly stood outside of the erotic bookstore. Who was she kidding; they only sold porn, porn and more porn.

Gulping, she boldly took the first step in.

The next few minutes passed by in a blur. She had been forbidden to use henge and the store manager just looked at her oddly.

"Why, Sakura-san. I never imagined seeing you here."

"Well, neither did I," she replied with a sad smile.

The manager chortled with great mirth and went on with her business, sweeping up dust from the floor.

Sakura, cheeks flaming red, pinched the bridge of her nose and took the first Icha Icha Novel.

After reading it, she bashfully went back to the store to get more, anticipating the next plot twist.

* * *

"Itachi," Tsunade began. "We have to talk."

"Right now," Shisui added, an oddly stern look in his eye.

Itachi nodded, unnerved by the serious atmosphere.

"You have a new team member," Tsunade informed him. Itachi looked to Shisui.

"It's Haruno Sakura," Shisui clarified, and Itachi's mouth opened and closed like a fish. He really wasn't sure what to say- partly because he had no idea what he was feeling.

"I-" he finally managed, but he was quickly cut off by Shisui.

"She has passed training with flying colors, and she is almost overqualified to be on our team. All we need is your approval."

"I am not certain that this is a good idea," Itachi stated in a monotone voice, trying to cover his fear.

"Why not?" Tsunade demanded to know. "Do you doubt Sakura?"

"No, it's just-"

"Is it because she's a woman-"

"It is because we had inappropriate relations in the past."

Tsunade blinked. "Meaning?"

Itachi's eyes darkened. "We had inappropriate relations in the past."

Something suddenly clicked in Shisui's mind. "Oh!" he blurted out, covering his mouth.

Tsunade looked as if she would explode. "You had sex with Sakura?"

He cringed. "Once," Itachi said honestly.

"Only once?"

"Yes."

A neck in Tsunade's vein popped out, and she almost seemed to be turning purple. Violently, she got out of her chair and started pacing the room, muttering to herself. Every so often, the two Uchiha men would hear a curse slipping from her lips and looked to each other for support.

"All right," Tsunade bit out. "Itachi. You are a good man. I am sure you will not touch her inappropriately again." Sitting back down, she pushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Please say that you will approve this." She passed him the approval papers, tapping where the signature was needed.

Itachi looked to Shisui. His best friend nodded at him, urging his friend to just hurry up and do it.

After a long moment of contemplation, Itachi picked up the pen and signed.

* * *

I am sorry.

I am ending it here.

Well, not really.

There will be a sequel. I don't know when it will be out, but it will be relatively soon. Probably after Your Fat Cat is done- which will be relatively soon, in a couple of months, actually.

It will be much more action packed than this one. So I can say.

Perfect- Book One- is done.


End file.
